Fastening inserting machine



Adg. 14, 1945.

C. A. ROBINSON FASTENING INSERT ING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l 8- 1945- c. A. ROBINSON 2,331,985

FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1943 4 Sheets$heet .2

" fl- 1945. c. A. ROBINSON 8 FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. A. ROBINSON 2,381,985 FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE 1 Filed June 25, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheef4 Patented Aug. 14, 1945 FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE Charles A. Robinson, Salem, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 25, 1943, Serial No. 492,279

23 Claims.

This invention relates to fastening inserting machines and more particularly to machines for use in inserting metallic fastenings of the single shank, through-and-through type.

It is often desirable, in order to obtain into the insole by separate fastenings such as tacks or staples, through-and-through wire fastenings of the character referred to often provide advantages over other types of fastenings in the lasting operation because the through-andthrough fastenings are usually more economical and convenient to form and insert and they have substantially the same strength or holding power as tacks or staples while not occupying so much space in the shoe. Moreover, other operations on shoes, such as fastening heel seats or attaching outsoles to shoes, can often be carried out more advantageously by the use of through-andthrough single shank fastenings instead of nails, stitches or cement, which comprise the means most commonly employed today in the manufacture of shoes.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine for inserting wire fastenings of the single shank, through-andthrough type which will be rapid, economical and efiicient in operation, and which will insert the fastenings in a manner to insure their holding power in the work piece.

With this end in view, the invention provides, in accordance with one feature, an improved fastening inserting machine having means for inserting a piece of wire into a work piece, and provided with mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a single shank, through-andthrough fastening having a portion thereof projecting from the surface of the work piece. The illustrated machine is also provided with means constructed and arranged to engage the projecting portion of the fastening first in one direction and then in another direction to bend said portion against the surface of the work piece and thereby to clinch the fastening permanently in the workpiece.

As herein illustrated, the wire inserting means preferably comprises a pair of cooperating rolls mounted for equal and opposite rotation and arranged to feed a continuous length of wire and to insert it into a work piece such, for example, as a shoe upper assembled on a last with an insole, the feeding and inserting rolls being rotated intermittently by spring actuated means in a direction to feed and insert the wire and being rotated positively in a direction reverse or opposite to their feeding movement after the wire has been inserted to return the rolls to their initial position. The wire severing means, as illustrated, comprises a knife arranged to reciprocate in a throat member toward and away from the wire passing therethrough and located a predetermined distance above the bottom of the throat member in order to sever the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece. As illustrated herein, the knife is positioned at a relatively acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the wire so that it will sever the wire to form a fastening of the portion of the wire already inserted in the work piece, and also to form a substantial bevel on the leading or entering end of the portion of the wire remaining in the throat member.

After the wire has been severed at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece, as described above, to form a single shank fastening having a portion projecting from the work piece into the wire passage in the throat member, further means is provided in the machine for positively depressing the work piece relatively to the throat member to remove the projecting portion of the wire from the passage in the throat member, after which bending and clinching means operate to engage and bend the projecting portion of the wire first in one direction to position it flat against surface of the work piece, and thereafter in another direction to force said portion into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, thereby clinching the projecting portion of the fastening permanently against the work piece. As herein illustrated, the bending and clinching means preferably comprises a bending tool movable laterally of the work piece to engage and bend the projecting portion of the fastening fiat against the surface of the work piece, and a reciprocating clinching member movable in a different direction from the bending tool or substantially at right angles to the operative movement of the tool, to engage the bentover portion of the fastening and to press it forcibly into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, thereby completing the clinching of the fastening against the work piece.

As indicated above, the knife severs the wire to form a substantial inclination or bevel on the entering end of the wire so that, when the wire is inserted into a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support, such, for example, as a shoe upper and insole mounted on a metal bottomed last as in McKay work, the beveled end of the wire will engage the metal plate on the last bottom and will be bent or clinched by the plate in the direction of the bevel. The bending and clinching members of the present machine, in accordance with another feature of the invention, are constructed and arranged to engage and bend the projecting portion of the severed wire in such a manner that, when clinched, this portion will extend parallel to, or in alinement with, the clinched entering end of the fastening or, in other words, will lie in the same plane heightwise of the fastening. Moreover, in one form the illustrated machine is adapted to bend the projecting portion of the wire in a direction opposite to that in which the beveled end was bent and clinched to produce a substantially S- shaped fastening while in another form, constituting a modification of the invention, the machine is arranged to bend and clinch the projecting portion of the fastening in the same direction as the beveled end was bent, thereby forming a substantially C-shaped fastening, this latter type of fastening having a more positive clamp-ing effect upon the materials of the work piece and, since both ends of the fastening are clinched in the same direction and the same plane, occupying less space in the work piece than the S-shaped fastening so that the C- shaped fastenings may be inserted more closely together in work pieces where a considerable number of fastenings are necessary or desirable to insure a strong or permanent attachment of the parts.

In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the present machine is provided with improved mechanism for maintaining the wire positively against retrograde or retracting movement under the reverse rotation of the feeding rolls, which, as pointed out above, are rotated positively by their actuating mechanism in a, direction reverse or opposite to their feeding movement after the wire has been inserted to return the rolls to their original position prior to feeding and inserting another piece of wire. As herein illustrated, the mechanism for preventing retracting movement of the wire under the reverse rotation of the feeding rolls comprises a member movable to engage an inclined surface associated with one of the feeding rolls and to move the roll away from the other roll during their reverse rotation, thereby separating the rolls during this period and causing them to release their grip upon the wire.

In order to insure that the wire will be maintained positively against any retrograde movement whatever after being fed and inserted, the illustrated machine is also provided with nonretracting mechanism which operates automatically in conjunction with the separation of the feeding rolls to engage the wire and clamp it firmly against retrograde movement while permitting movement of the wire in the direction of feed or toward the work piece, this nonretracting mechanism, as herein illustrated, preferably comprising a device provided with a spring pressed eccentric or dog adapted yieldingly to engage the wire through a slot or opening in the wire passage in the throat member and to press it against said passage. Accordingly, the wire, after being fed and inserted is, by reason of the nonretracting means or mechanisms referred to, maintained positively against retrograde movement at all times during the cycle of operations of the machine.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine embodying the present invention, the machine being shown operating upon a work piece such as a shoe on a last;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the side of the machine opposite to that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken on the line V--V of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the wire feeding means and associated mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the wire guiding or throat mechanism and wire severing means;

Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are enlarged diagrammatic views of the throat mechanism and other instrumentalities of the machine, illustrating successive stages in the operation of the machine on a work piece;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged front elevation illustrating a modified form of wire feeding, severing and clinching mechanism; and

Figs. 14 and 15 are enlarged diagrammatic views, similar to Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, illustrating successive stages in the operation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 13.

The machine comprises a base provided at its upper end with a horizontal supporting plate 22 to which is secured an upstanding bracket or frame member 24 which supports the operating instrumentalities of the machine, the bracket being enclosed by a cover 26. has a wide upper portion 28 (Fig. 2) which supports a pair of wire feeding and inserting rolls 30, 32 keyed respectively to a pair of intermeshing gears 34, 36 whereby the rolls are arranged for equal and opposite rotation. The wire feeding and inserting rolls 30, 32 are also provided on their peripheries with circumferential grooves 38 (Figs. 3 and 6) in which a continuous length of wire W, which is to form the fastenings, may be located to be gripped between the rolls, the grooves 38 being preferably serrated widthwise to cause them to grip the wire with sufficient friction to enable them to feed the wire and to insert it into a work piece.

The roll is splined to a shaft 40 journaled in bearings in the upper portion 28 of the bracket 24 and having pinned to its inner end a collar 42 (Figs. 1 and 3). Surrounding the shaft 40 between the collar 42 and a cylindrical extension 44 on the bracket 24 is a relatively heavy torsion spring 46, the rear end of which engages a pin 48 secured in the collar 42 while its forward end abuts against the side wall of the bracket, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Journaled in the central portion of the bracket 24 is a driving shaft 50 upon which are mounted The bracket 2-l the cams for operating various mechanisms of the machine. At its rear portion the shaft 50 carries a driving pulley 52 which is loose on the shaft and is rotated by a belt 54 which may be connected to any usual source of power, such as a motor located in the base of the machine. Rearwardly of the pulley 52 the shaft 50 carries a one-revolution clutch of any conventional type such, for example, as the pin type clutch indicated generally at 56 in Fig. l. The clutch 56 is provided with a spring pin 58 which may be thrown into engagement to connect the pulley to the driving shaft 50 by depressing a vertical pin 60 slidably mounted in a bracket 6| secured to the plate 22 the pin being depressed by means of a treadle rod 62 against the tension of a spring 64 surrounding the pin 60 and normally maintaining it in an elevated position which disengages the clutch and releases the pulley from connection with the driving shaft.

Secured to the shaft 50 and extending into a rectangular opening 66 in the bracket 24 is a compound cam member 68 which is fastened to the shaft by a taper pin I (Fig. 3). The cam member 68 has a central or intermediate cam surface 72 thereon which, as shown in Fig. 4, drops abruptly at I4 and is engaged by a lever or arm I6 secured to the shaft 40 by a pin I8. Rotation of the driving shaft 50 in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, causes the arm I6 to swing downwardly at the drop I4 under the tension of the spring 46 and thus to rotate the shaft 40, thereby yieldingly rotating the feeding roll 30 in a counterclockwise direction and, through the gears 34, 36, rotating the cooperating roll 32 in an opposite or clockwise direction to effect the feeding and inserting of the wire W into the work piece being operated upon. As shown in Fig. 4, the cam surface I2 rises gradually at 80 approximately 90 from the drop I4 and returns the arm I6 to the high portion of the cam, thereby rotating the shaft 40 in a clockwise direction after the wire inserting operation has been performed and tensioning or reloading the spring 46 and also rotating the wire feeding and inserting rolls 30, 32 positively in a reverse direction to their feeding movement to return them to their initial positions. Consequently, the wire feeding and inserting rolls 30, 32 are spring actuated in their operative movement, thereby obtaining the advantages of a spring drive, whereas the rolls are rotated positively in a reverse direction into their initial position by the cam I2 against the tension of the spring 46.

The feeding and inserting roll 32, as best shown in Figs. 3, and 6, is mounted on the forward end of a rectangular carrier member or block 82 having a cylindrical end portion 84 upon which the roll 32 and gear 36 are rotatably mounted between a shoulder or flange 8| and a plurality of washers 83 secured by a screw 86. The carrier block 82 fits into a rectangular slot in the bracket 24 and is pivoted for swinging movement therein toward and away from the fixed roll 30 by a vertical pin 88 secured in the bracket, the block 82 being normally urged inwardly toward the roll 30 to bring the roll 32 into operative engagement with the fixed roll by a compression spring 90 mounted on a rod 92 passing through an elongated slot 94 in the block 82 and extending into the upper portion 28 of the bracket 24. The rod 92 has a wing nut 96 threaded thereon which holds the spring on the rod and by means of which the tension of the spring may be varied to increase or reduce the grip of the rolls upon the wire W.

'The carrier block 82 is provided on its inner side, as viewed in Fig. 6, with an inclined cam surface 88 which extends heightwise of the block and is in a position to be engaged by the forward end of a reciprocating arm I00 which is arranged to cam or deflect the block 822 and roll 32 laterally about the pivot 88 away from the roll 30 at a predetermined point in the cycle of operations of the machine and thereby to cause the rolls 30 and 32 to become separated from each other a sufficient distance to release their grip entirely upon the wire W and thus to leave the wire free from the action of the rolls. The separation of the rolls 30, 32 to release their grip upon the wire occurs at the time when the rolls are being rotated positively by the arm I6 and cam I2 in a reverse direction to their feeding movement. Thus the reverse rotation of the rolls will not tend to retract the wire which has already been fed and inserted or cause any retrograde movement in any portion of the wire.

The arm I00, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, is secured by screws to a sliding block I02 mounted for reciprocating movement forwardly and rearwardly of the machine in an opening I04 formed in the rear portion of the bracket 24. The block I02 carries a pair of rolls I06, I08 (Fig. 1) rotatably mounted on screws threaded into its upper surface, the rolls I06, I08 being spaced apart and arranged to engage the opposite sides of a circular disk or cam IIO, which is pinned to the driving shaft 50 and is shaped lengthwise of the shaft to cause forward and rearward reciprocation of the block I02 and arm I00 through the engagement of the cam by the rolls I06, I08. The arrangement of this mechanism is such, and its operation is so timed with respect to the operation of the feeding and inserting mechanism, that the arm I00 moves forwardly to swing the roll 32 away from the fixed roll 30 and to maintain it in such position during the period that the feeding rolls are being rotated in a reverse direction to their feeding movement so that the rolls will be separated during this time and their grip upon the wire W will be entirely released. After the rolls 30, 32 have been rotated back to their initial position, the arm I00 is moved rear- Wardly again by the cam IIO away from the inclined surface 98 on the block 82 to permit the rolls to be urged together into operative engagement with each other by the compression spring 90.

The sliding block I02 is bored lengthwise to receive a long horizontal rod II2 which is secured in the block by a set screw H4 and extends forwardly through an opening in the bracket 24, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that its forward end portion projects beyond the bracket, as illustrated in Fig, 1. The forward end of the rod I I2 is shaped to form a substantially oblong severing member or knife II6 having "sharp cutting edges on its left and lower sides, the left edge being located at an angle of about 15 to the vertical and extending upwardly and toward the right, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 8.

The forward portion of the rod II2 forming the knife H6 is arranged to pass through an inclined slot I I8 formed in a wire guiding or throat member I20 which is fastened to the front end of the bracket 24. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the throat member I20 is provided with a vertical wire passage I22 through which the wire W is guided downwardly from any usual source of supply, such as a reel I24 supported by a bracket I25 on the cover 26 (Fig. 1), the wire being fed to the operating instrumentalities of the machine by the wire feeding and inserting rolls 30, 32.

The throat mechanism I20, as herein illustrated, comprises an inner portion or wall I26, preferably integral with the bracket 24, and an outer plate I28 which is secured to the inner portion I26 in any suitable manner, such as by screws and dowels I30 (Fig. 2). The wire passage I22, as shown in Fig. 8, is intersected by the inclined slot II 8 at an acute angle to the vertical sothat the cutting edge of the knife II6 will sever the wire at an angle which forms a substantial inclination or bevel on the portion of the wire extending above the knife but will sever the portion extending below the knife, which has been fed and inserted into the work piece, at a relatively slight angle to the horizontal, as illustrated in Fig. 10. It will be seen that, in severing the wire, the knife I I6 cuts out or removes a section L of the wire located between the portion inserted in the work piece and the beveled portion located above the knife, this waste portion, however, being relatively small, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

It will be understood, therefore, that the portion of the continuous length of wire which is inserted into the work piece is severed at a relatively slight angle to the horizontal while the portion located above the knife, which is to form the next fastening, is severed at an acute angle to the axis of the wire to form a substantial bevel thereon and thus to provide a tapered point on the entering end of the wire. It will also be observed that the knife H6 is so located in the machine relatively to the throat member I20 that it is spaced a predetermined distance above the lower end of the wire passage I22 so that, after the lower portion of the wire W has been fed and inserted into the work piece, a portion of the wire will project from the surface of the work piece and extend into the lower end of the wire passage. The reason for severing the wire in the manner described and for permitting it to extend into the lower portion of the wire passage in the throat member will be more fully explained hereinafter in connection with the operation of the machine.

As pointed out above, the horizontal rod II2 which forms the knife H6 is secured in the sliding block I02 by the set screw II4. Accordingly, when the sliding block I02 is reciprocated by the circular cam IIO rotating between the rolls I06, I08, the knife is moved forwardly in the slot IIB to sever the wire in the passage I22 and it is then moved rearwardly again to remove it from said passage, the operative stroke of the knife being sufiicient, however, to push the small waste section L of the wire forwardly out of the slot H8 and thus to expel it from the machine each time the knife operates. Consequently, there is no danger of the wire passage I22 becoming clogged or jammed by these waste sections of the wire. Moreover, the wire severing means and the mechanism for separating the feeding rolls 30, 32 to release their grip on the wire are timed so that the feeding and inserting operation takes place first, after which the knife moves forwardly to sever the wire and then, as the knife continues its forward movement to expel the waste wire from the machine, the reciprocating arm I on the block I02 engages the inclined surface 96 on the carrier member 82 and separates the rolls 30, 32 just prior to their positive rotation in a reverse direction under the action of the cam I2.

It has already been pointed out that the separation of the wire feeding rolls 30, 32 by the reciprocating arm I00 releases the grip of the rolls upon the wire and thus prevents them from retracting the wire during the positive rotation of the rolls in a reverse direction as they are being returned to their initial position by the cam I2. In order to insure that there will be no retrograde movement whatever of the wire after it has been fed and inserted, the machine is also provided with means which operates automatically with, or in conjunction with, the release of the wire by the rolls, so that retrograde movement of any portion of the wire at any time in the machine is positively prevented, thereby insuring that the proper length of wire will be fed for forming each fastening.

This additional or supplementary means for insuring against any retrograde movement of the wire preferably consists of a conventional spring actuated nonretracting device, which may be of any usual or well-known construction and which, as herein illustrated, comprises a wire guiding member I32 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) fastened by a screw I34 to a projection I36 on the cover 26 of the machine, the device being located above the feeding and inserting rolls 30, 32 and in position to guide the wire downwardly into the grip of the rolls. The member I32 has a vertical wire passage (not shown) formed therein and is provided with a front cover plate I38 having a forwardly extending projection I40 upon which is pivotally mounted on a screw I42 a small bell crank lever I44 the lower arm I46 of which is eccentric relatively to the pivot I42 (Fig. 3) and enters a slot in the cover I38 which opens into the wire passage so that the arm I46 normally rests against the wire W. The upper arm of the lever I44 is engaged by a spring I48 mounted in a lug I50 on the cover plate so that the lower arm I46 is normally urged upwardly, or in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, about the pivot I42 to maintain its eccentric end portion in yielding engagement with the wire in the passage in the guiding member I32. It will be obvious from the foregoing that the device will permit the wire to pass freely through the guiding member downwardly or in the direction of its feeding movement but will act to cramp or look the wire against any upward or retrograde movement in the'guiding member I32. Consequently, the wire W is held positively against reverse or retracting movement by the nonretracting device I32 while retraction of the wire below the device by the reverse rotation of the feeding rolls 30, 32 is prevented by the separation of the rolls themselves, as described above.

The illustrated machine is particularly adapted for use in operating on a work piece such as a shoe, the shoe at that stage of its construction, for example, comprising merely an upper and lining A (Figs. 1 and 8) and an insole B mounted on a last C, the upper preferably having been pulled over the last and being in condition to be secured in overlasted relation to the insole B by the fastenings which the present machine is adapted to insert. As illustrated in Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, the last C is provided on its bottom surface with a metal plate D which forms an impenetrable surface or support engaging the inner side of the work piece, that is, a support which cannot be penetrated by the wire when inserted and which, accordingly, serves to bend the beveled entering end of the wire in the direction of the bevel thereon, or toward the left as illustrated in Fig. 9, thereby clinching the inner end of the wire against the inner surface of the work piece or the insole B. Since the wire W is severed on a bevel of approximately 15 to its longitudinal axis and in a direction extending upwardly and to the right, as viewed in Fig. 8, the entering end of the wire, when inserted by the rolls 30, 32, will be bent by the metal last plate D in a direction corresponding to this bevel or laterally toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 9, the metal plate D being substantially fiat or smooth, acting to bend or curve the entering end in its weakest direction which is toward the left in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the bevel.

The work piece, that is, the upper A and insole B assembled on the last C, is presented to the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 1, with the inner side of the shoe resting against a fixed gage member I52 secured by a screw to the bracket 24 and having an enlarged outer portion adapted to be engaged by the shoe to position the marginal portion of the upper below the operating instrumentalities of the machine. The shoe is also placed against another locating member I54 (Figs. 2 and 3), which determines the position of the work piece heightwise relatively to the throat member I20 and to the operating mechanisms associated therewith, the member I54 serving at one time in the operation of the machine as a fixed abutment for positioning the shoe heightwise and, at another time, as a movable member or presser foot for shifting the shoe heightwise relatively to the throat member I20.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the abutment or presser foot I54 comprises a substantially horizontal arm having a toothed work engaging surface and being rigidly secured by a screw to an upwardly extending lever I56 pivoted on the bracket 24 by a pin I58, the lever I56 engaging a forwardly facing cam surface I60 formed on the front end of the compound cam 68, this bell crank construction being normally maintained with the lever I56 against the inclined portion of the cam I60 and with the presser foot I54 in a partially elevated position by a tension spring I62 connected to the presser foot and to the bracket 24. The surface of the cam I60, as shown in Fig. 3, declines rearwardly opposite the lever I56 when the machine is at rest so that the presser foot will be swung upwardly about the pivot I58 as soon as the machine is started to permit the work piece or shoe being held by the operator against the work gage and presser foot to be moved upwardly, as illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 8 and 9, to bring the work piece into operative engagement with the throat member I20 and the operating mechanisms associated therewith. The cam surface I60 is shaped so that the presser foot will remain in an elevated position while the wire is being fed and inserted by the rolls 30, 32 and is being severed by the knife II 6 at a point spaced a predetermined distance above the surface of the work piece to form a fastening, indicated by the letter F in Fig. 10, after which the cam I60 swings the presser foot downwardly a predetermined distance, as illustrated in Fig. 10, to lower the work piece and thereby remove the projecting portion of the severed fastening, from the wire passage I22 in the throat member I20, the presser foot remaining in this depressed position during the remainder of the cycle of the machine.

After the work piece has been moved downwardly to remove the projecting portion of the fastening F from the passage in the throat member, it is desirable to bend or clinch this projecting portion of the fastening in a particular manner against the surface of the work piece or shoe upper. This result is accomplished in the present machine by engaging the porjecting portion of the fastening first in one direction and then in another direction to bend it flat against the surface of the work piece and thereafter to force said portion into the material of the work piece and thus to sink or embed it in said material, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, thereby clinching the projecting end of the fastening permanently against the work piece. To carry out this operation, the machine is provided with a preliminary bending tool I64 for performing the initial or preliminary bending of the projecting portion of the fastening, and with a clinching member I66 for bending or forcing said portion into the material of the work piece to sink or embed it therein.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the bending tool I64 is secured to the end of a lever I68 fulcrumed on the shaft 40 and extending through an opening I10 in the bracket 24, the lever being provided with a V-shaped projection I12 adapted to ride on the surface of a cam I14 formed on the shaft 50 and the cam being provided with a drop or depression I16 for about a quarter of its circumference which causes the lever I68 and bending tool I64 to be swung downwardly and toward the right, as viewed in Figs. 2, 5 and 8, to cause the tool to engage the projecting portion of the fastening F in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the Work piece and to bend it flat against said surface, as illustrated in Fig. 11, under the tension of a spring I18 connected to the lever I68 and to a pin secured in the bracket 24. As illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the bending tool I64 swings downwardly and toward the right until it engages the fastening F and then moves in a path or arc nearly parallel to the surface of the work piece to bend the projecting portion of the wire flat against said surface, the tool I64 being then swung upwardly and toward the left by the cam to return it to its original position and thereby to remove it immediately from the vicinity of the fastening.

The clinching member I 66, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, comprises a sliding bar mounted for reciprocating movement in a guideway I (Fig. 8) formed in a forwardly extending housing I82 formed on the throat member I22, the guideway I80 being inclined upwardly and toward the right, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 8, at the same angle as the knife II6 so that the clinching member I 66 moves heightwise of the knife and parallel thereto during its operative movement, thereby causing the clinching member to engage the projecting portion of the fastening F at an angle of approximately 15 to the vertical, or substantially at right angles to the direction in which the bending tool I64 engaged said projecting portion.

The upper end of the clinching member I66 extends beyond the housing I82 and is provided with a pin I84 which is engaged by the slotted end of a rocker arm I86 pinned to a rock shaft I88 rotatably mounted in a pair of brackets I90, I92 secured to the bracket 24. Rearwardly of the rocker arm I86 on the shaft I88 is another arm or lever I94 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is fixed to the shaft and engages the surface of a third portion I96 of the compound cam 68 previously referred to, the lever I94 being held against the cam by a torsion spring I98 surrounding the shaft I88 with its forward end engaging a pin 200 (Fig. 1) fixed in the bracket I90, and with its rearward end engaging a pin 202 mounted in the lever I94. When the driving shaft 50 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, the lever I94 rides on the cam surface I96 until it drops off a depression 204 formed on said surface to cause the lever to swing downwardly in a counterclockwise direction, thereby rotating the rock shaft I 88 and the slotted arm I86 in that direction and reciprocating the clinching member I66 downwardly to engage the projecting portion of the fastening F with sufficient force to bend it into the material of the work piece and to embed it therein, as illustrated in Fig. 12.

After the lever I94 has engaged the depression 204 on the cam I96 it is moved by the cam back to its original position, thereby returning the rocker arm and clinching member I66 to their initial positions relatively to the throat member I20 and the work piece.

The operation of the above mechanisms, including the preliminary bending tool I64 and the clinching member I66, is timed so that the bending tool is actuated immediately after the work piece has been depressed by the presser foot I54 to withdraw the projecting portion of the fastening from the passage in the throat member. After the bending tool has operated and moved away from the projecting portion of the fastening, the clinching member I66 is moved downwardly under the tension of the spring I98 to complete the operation by clinching the fastening, after which the clinching member is moved upwardly to its original position to permit the work piece to be moved laterally by the operator into a position to receive another fastening, the presser foot I54, however, remaining in a partially depressed position, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 12, to control the heightwise position of the work piece as it is moved by the operator into a position to receive the next fastening.

It will be noted from the foregoing description and from Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, that the bevel formed by the knife II6 on the entering end of the wire in the passage I22 is located at a. relatively acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the wire and that it extends upwardly and toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 8, so that when the wire is inserted, the beveled end will be bent by the metal last plate D in the direction of the bevel, or upwardly and toward the left, as shown in Fig. 9. Moreover, the bending and clinching members I64 and I66, as already pointed out, are arranged to bend and clinch the portion of the fastening which projects above the surface of the work piece downwardly toward the right and substantially in alinement with the clinched beveled end so that the opposite ends of the fastening will be bent or clinched in the same plane but in opposite directions to form a substantially S-shaped fastening, as illustrated in Fig. 12.

A single shank, through-and-through fastening of this type, clinched in the manner indicated, may be used advantageously in performing a number of wire fastening or stitching operations, particularly where it is desired to secure two or more layers of material together by relatively strong attaching means without reducing, the flexibility of the materials to any great extent and without introducing too much metal along the line of fastenings which would be apt to interfere with subsequent operations such, for example, as the attachment of other layers to the Work piece by additional fastening means, such as stitches, pegsjor other types of fastenings. One example of an operation in which the present fastening may be used to advantage is that illustrated in Fig. 1 and Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, or the operation of securing a shoe upper in overlasted relation to an insole on a metal bottomed last by through-and-through single shank fastenings clinched at both their inner and outer ends against opposite surfaces of the shoe bottom.

Since the entering end of the fastening F is clinched in the direction of its bevel, and since the projecting portion of the fastening is clinched in an opposite direction but in alinement therewith or in the same plane, the present fastenings maybe utilized to secure the upper in overlasted relation to the insole by inserting the fastenings with their clinched ends located substantially parallel to the periphery of the insole or shoe bottom so that they will not be in a position to interfere with the subsequent operations referred to, such as attaching an outsole by through-and-through stitches which, in shoes of this type, are generally located outwardly of the lasting means but sufiicientiy close thereto to break or cause damage to the stitching needle if it struck any of the fastenings which happened to be improperly located in the shoe, or the opposite ends of which happened to be clinched in directions or angles extending into the path of the stitches.

While the S-shaped fastenings disclosed in Fig. 12 are well adapted for use in the lasting operation or in similar operations upon a shoe, it may be desirable in some kinds of work to utilize a somewhat different type of through-andthrough fastenings which have a more positive gripping effect upon the work piece and which, by reason of their peculiar shape after being inserted and clinched, do not occupy so much space in the work piece and, accordingly, may be located more closely together along a given path in the work piece. The present machine is adapted to form and insert this different type of fastening by merely changing or reversing the angle of the severing means or knife H6, in the manner illustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15. In accohrdance with this modification of the invention, the throat member I20 is provided with a knife opening or slot 206 which corresponds to the slot II6 of the earlier construction except that it is located at an angle to the wire passage I22 or to the longitudinal axis of the wire which is exactly opposite to the angle of the slot II8. In other words, the knife slot 206 in the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 13 to 15 is inclined upwardly and toward the left at an angle of approximately 15 to the vertical instead of extending upwardly and toward the right at such angle, as shown in Fig. 8. Consequently, the knife H6 will sever the wire W so that the bevel on its entering end extends upwardly and toward the left, as illustrated in Fig. 14, or in an opposite direction to the bevel of the wire shown in Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, the knife removing a small section L from the wire in the severing operation. When the wire engages the metal plate D on the bottom of the last C, the beveled entering end will be bent and clinched in the direction of the bevel, or upwardly and toward the right in a plane substantially parallel to the edge of the work piece when positioned against the gage I52, as described above. The bending and clinching members I64 and I66 then operate in the manner described to engage the upwardly projecting portion of the fastening and to bend it downwardly and toward the right against the surface of the work piece and then to force it into the material of the Work piece, as illustrated in Fig. 15, the projecting portion being bent and clinched in the same direction as the beveled end and in alinement with said end to form a substantially C-shaped fasteing F. As pointed out above, the fastening F has a more definite gripping or clamping effect on the materials secured together thereby and, since its opposite ends are bent or clinched in the same direction, the fastenings may, if desired, be located more closely together along a, single lne than the fastenings illustrated in Figs. 1 and 12, both of these characteristics of the fastening F being of particular advantage when an especially strong or permanent attachment of the parts is desired as, for example, when lasting a relatively heavy upper to a thick insole, or when attaching an outsole to an upper and insole by individual through-and-through fastenings rather than by a continuous line of fastenings such as stitches.

Irrespective of which type of fastening is used, however, it wil1 be clear that the present fastenings may be inserted in a path extending substantially parallel to the periphery of the shoe bottom when lasting the upper to the insole so that they will not interfere with the subsequent attachment of an outsole to the shoe by throughand-throu h stitches. Moreover. since both ends of the fastenings are clinched effectively against the materials of the work piece or, in the case of a shoe, against the insole and the overlasted upper, there is practically no danger of the fastenings working loose in the finished shoe or of the clinched ends lifting out of the materials and working through adjacent parts of the shoe to injure the shoe or to cause discomfort to the wearer. Furthermore, the clinched, single shank fastenings will ordinarily hold with sufficient strength to be utilized, if desired, in attaching materials permanently to each other as in such operations as lasting uppers to insoles or attaching outsoles without the necessity of utilizing additional attaching means such as cement, pegs or stitches. It should also be pointed out that, since the present through-and-through fastenings are formed and inserted progressively from a continuous length of wire, and are severed and clinched by one of the two methods herein disclosed in a single operation or cycle of the machine, it will be obvious that the use of the machine in carrying out the operations referred to will render the performance of these operations simple, quick and efficient in addition to rendering them more economical with respect to the operations themselves and also with respect to the materials used such, for example, as pre formed tacks. staples, stitches or cement one or more of which are often utilized in carrying out these operations by other methods.

In the operation of the machine through one cycle the wire feeding and inserting rolls 30 and 32 are first operated to advance the wire and to insert a portion thereof into the work, the leading end of the wire being clinched against the metal bottom of the last. Thereupon the knife H6 is operated to sever the inserted portion of the wire a certain distance above the surface of the work. The next operation is the separation of the wire feeding and inserting rolls 30 and 32 and their rotation back into initial position. The presser foot I54 is depressed so as to lower the work with the fastening inserted therein away from the throat I20. Finally, the fastening upsetting means is operated. First, the bending tool I64 is caused to bend the protruding upper end of the fastening and lay it fiat against the surface of the work, whereupon the clinching tool I66 is operated to imbed the deflected upper end of the fastening in the work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting the end portion of a piece of wire into a work piece, a knife for severing the wire at a point spaced from the work piece to form a single shank fastening having a portion projecting from the work piece, a member movable to engage said projecting portion and to bend it laterally to position it flat against the surface of the work piece, and means constructed and arranged to engage said portion and to force it into said surface to embed it in the material of the work piece, thereby clinching said fastening in said work piece.

2. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a piece of wire into a work piece, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a fastening having an end portion projecting from said surface, and a plurality of members movable successively in different directions to engage said projecting portion and to bend it forcibly into the material of the work piece, thereby clinching the fastening against said work piece.

3. A fastening inserting machine having, in

combination, means for inserting the end portion of a continuous length of wire into a work piece, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a fastening a portion of which projects above the work piece, a member movable transversely of the severing mechanism for engaging said projecting portion and bending it laterally to position it against the surface of the work piece, and means movable heightwise of the severing mechanism and parallel thereto for thereafter engaging said portion and bending it downwardly into the material of the work piece, thereby clinching said fastening permanently in said material.

4. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, single means for feeding and inserting a piece of wire into a work piece, a knife for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the Work piece to produce a single shank fastening having an end portion projecting from the work piece, a member movable substantially parallel to the surface of the work piece for engaging said projecting portion and bending it fiat against said surface, another member movable substantially at right angles to the first-named member for engaging said portion and bending it into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, and means for operating said members in predetermined timed relation to each other.

5. A fastening insertin machine having, in combination, rotary means for feeding and inserting a continuous length of wire into a work piece, a knife for severing the wire at a point spaced from the work piece to form a single leg fastening having an end portion projecting from the work piece, a tool mounted for movement transversely of the knife to engage said end portion and to bend it flat against the surface of the work piece, a cam for actuating said tool, a reciprocating member movable heightwise of the knife for thereafter engaging said end portion and bending it into the material of the work piece to clinch the fastening permanently therein, and separate means for operating said reciprocating member including a cam, a lever actuated by said cam, and spring means for holding the lever against the cam.

6. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, a throat member provided with a wire passage, means for feeding a wire through said passage and inserting it in a work piece, mechanism for severing the Wire at a point short of the end of the throat member to produce a fastening having a portion projecting from the work piece and into the passage in the throat member, and means for effecting relative movement of the work piece and throat member to remove the projectin portion of the fastening from the passage in said throat member.

'7. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, a throat member provided with a wire passage, means for feeding a wire through said passage and inserting it into a work piece, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced inwardly from the end of the throat member, thereby forming a fastening having an end portion projecting from the work piece into the passage in the throat member, and means movable heightwise of the throat member for engaging the work piece and moving it positively away from the throat member to withdraw the projectin portionof the fastening from the wire passage in said throat member.

8. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, a throat member provided with a wire passage, means for feeding a continuous length of wire through said passage and inserting it in a work piece, a knife for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece and short of the end of the passage in said throat member, thereby forming a fastening having an end portion projecting from the surface of the work piece into said wire passage,

and means constructed and arranged to move the work piece positively away from the throat member to remove the projecting portion of the fastening from said passage, said means including a pivoted member arranged for swinging movement heightwise of the throat member, a cam for actuating said member, and means for maintaining the pivoted member against the cam.

9. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, a throat member provided with a wire passage, means for feeding a continuous length of wire through said passage and inserting it into a work piece, a pivoted member arranged to engage the work piece and to position it relatively to the throat member, said pivoted member being mounted for swinging movement heightwise of the throat member,a knife forsevering the wire at a point short of the end of the passage in the throat member to form a fastening having its end portion projecting from the work piece into said passage, and means for swinging said pivoted member in opposite directions heightwise of the throat member to permit the work piece to engage said throat member before the wire is inserted, and also to move the work piece away from the throat member after the wire has been severed to remove the projecting portion of the fastening from the passage in said throat member.

10. A fastening insertin machine having, in combination, a throat member provided with a wire passage, means for feeding a wire through said passage and for insertin it in a work piece, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the work piece and short of the end of the wire passage to form a fastening having a portion projecting from the work piece and extending into said passage, means for effecting relative movement of the work piece and throat member to remove the'projecting portion of the fastening from said passage, and means constructed and arranged to engage said projecting portion first in one direction and then in another direction to bend said portion against the work,

piece and thereby clinch said fastening.

11. A fastening inserting machine having, in

combination, a throat member provided with a wire passage, means for feeding a wire through said passage and inserting it into a work piece, a knife for severing the wire at a point spaced from the work piece and short of the end of the passage to form a, fastening having a portion projecting from the work piece into said passage, means for positively removing the work piece away from the throat member to withdraw the projecting portion of the fastening from said passage, a member for engaging said projecting portion in one direction and bending it fiat against the work piece, and means constructed and arranged thereafter to engage said portion in another direction extending at a substantial angle to the first direction to press said portion forcibly into the material of the work piece, thereby clinching the fastening permanently against said work piece.

12. A fastening inserting machine having, in

combination, means for inserting a wire having a beveled entering end through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support, thereby causing said entering end to be bent and clinched by said support in the direction of said bevel, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the work piece to form a fastening having a portion projecting from said work piece, and means constructed and arranged to engage said projecting portion and to bend it first against the surface of the work piece and then into the material thereof in a direction substantially parallel to the beveled entering end, thereby clinching the fastening in said work piece.

13. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a wire having a beveled end portion through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable member, thereby causing said end portion to become bent and clinched by the impenetrable member in a plane substantially normal to the plane of said bevel, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a fastening having a portion projecting out of said surface, and means movable to engage said projecting portion and to bend it first against said surface and then into the material of the work piece in substantially the same plane as that in which the beveled end was bent, thereby clinching the fastening permanently against the work piece, said movable means being constructed and arranged to engage said projecting portion first in one direction and then in a different direction.

14. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, single rotary means for feeding a continuous length of wire having a sharply beveled entering end and for inserting it through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support, thereby causing the beveled entering end to be bent by said support in the direction of the bevel and to become clinched against the inner surface of the work piece, a knife arranged to sever the wire at a point spaced from the outer surface of the work piece to form a single shank fastening having a portion of its shank projecting from said outer surface, and means movable toward and away from the work piece for engaging said projecting portion and bending it laterally against said outer surface and for then forcing it into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, thereby clinching the fastening at both ends, said movable means being constructed and arranged to engage said projecting portion first transversely of the knife and then heightwise thereof.

15. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a wire having a beveled end portion through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable member, thereby causing said end portion to become bent and clinched by the impenetrable member in the direction of said bevel, mechanism for severing the wire at a point remote from the surface of the work piece to form a single leg fastening having a portion projecting from said work piece, and means constructed and arranged to engage said projecting portion and to bend it in an opposite direction to that in which the beveled end was bent, thereby clinching both ends of the fastening.

16. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a wire having a beveled end portion through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support, thereby causing said end portion to become bent by said support in the direction of said bevel and to be clinched against the inner surface of the work piece, a knife for severing the wire at a distance from the outer surface of the work piece to form a single shank fastening having a portion projecting from said outer surface, and means movable to engage said projecting portion and to bend it in a direction opposite but parallel to the direction in which the beveled end was bent, said means being constructed and arranged to bend said projecting portion first flat against the surface of the work piece and then to force it into the material thereof to clinch said portion Permanently against the work piece.

17. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a wire having a beveled end through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support, thereby causing said beveled end to become bent and clinched by the support in the direction of the bevel, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a single shank fastening having a portion projecting from said work piece, a member movable transversely of the knife to engage said projecting portion and to bend it flat against the surface of the work piece and in alinement with said beveled end, and means constructed and arranged thereafter to engage said portion in another direction and to force it into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, thereby clinching both ends of the fastening against the work piece in directions that are in alinement with each other.

18. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a wire having a beveled end portion through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support, thereby causing said beveled end to become bent and clinched by said support in the direction of said bevel, mechanism for severing the wire at a point spaced from the work piece to form a single shank fastening havrlng a portion projecting from said work piece, a pivoted member movable transversely of the knife for engaging said projecting portion and bending it against the surface of the work piece in an opposite direction to the beveled end, and means movable thereafter heightwise of the knife to engage said projecting portion and to press it forcibly into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, thereby causing the ends of the fastening to be clinched against the work piece in opposite directions.

19. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, means for inserting a Wire having a beveled entering end into a work place mounted on an impenetrable support to cause said end to become bent and clinched in the direction of its bevel, a knife arranged to sever the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a single shank fastening having a portion projecting from said work piece, a member movable transversely of the knife toward and away from the fastening for engaging said projecting portion and bending it against the surface of the work piece in the same direction as the beveled end was bent and in substantial alinement therewith, and another member movable in a different direction to engage said projecting portion and to bend it into the material of the work piece to embed it therein so that the ends of the fastening will be clinched against opposite surfaces of the work piece in the same direction and in substantial alinement with each other.

20. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, rotary means for feeding a continuous length of wire having a beveled entering end and for inserting said wire through a work piece mounted on an impenetrable support to cause said beveled end to become bent and clinched by the support in the direction of said bevel, means for operating said rotary means intermittently by spring pressure, a knife arranged to sever the wire at a point spaced from the surface of the work piece to form a single shank fastening having a portion projecting from the work piece, means for operating said knife, bending means movable laterally of the fastening to engage said projecting portion and to bend it flat against the surface of the work piece in a direction substantially in alinement with said beveled end, cam and spring controlled mechanism for actuating said bending means, a reciprocating member arranged to engage the bent portion of the fastening and to force it into the material of the work piece to embed it therein, thereby clinching the fastening permanently against the work piece, said reciprocating member being movable substantially at right angles .to the movement of said bending means, and

means for actuating said reciprocating member including a, pivoted lever for engaging said member, a cam, and connections between said lever and said cam whereby the reciprocating member is spring actuated.

21. A fastening inserting machine having, in combination, a pair of cooperating rolls rotatable to feed from a reel a continuous length of wire from which fastenings are to be formed and to insert the wire into a work piece, said rolls being normally urged together under spring pressure to cause them to grip the wire spring actuated mechanism for rotating the rolls intermittently in a direction to feed the wire and to insert it in the work piece, said rotating mechanism being cam controlled and being arranged also to rotate the rolls positively in a reverse direction to their feeding movement after'the wire has been inserted to return therolls to their initial position, a device located between the rolls and said reel for gripping the wire and holding it against retrograde movement after it has beenfed, and cam controlled means operating in timed relation to said rotating mechanism for preventing the rolls from retracting the wire-during their reverse rotation, said means operating automatically to separate the rolls against theirspring pressure and thereby to cause them to release their grip upon the wire during said reverse rotation.

22. A machine for inserting fastenings made from a continuous length of wire, the machine having in combination wire gripping means for feeding the wire and inserting a portion of it into a work piece, means for yieldingly moving said gripping means in one direction to cause it to perform its wire feeding and inserting operations and for positively moving it in the opposite direction to return said gripping means into its initial position, and means for disengaging said gripping means from the wire during its return movement to prevent any retrograde movement of the wire.

23. A machine for inserting fastenings made from a continuous length of wire, the machine having in combination two cooperating rolls for feeding the wire and inserting a portion of it into a work piece, means for yieldingly rotating said rolls in one direction to cause them to perform their wire feeding and inserting operations and for positively rotating them in the opposite direction to return said rolls to their initial position, yielding means for moving said rolls toward each other during the wire feeding and inserting operation, means for moving said rolls apart during their return rotation, and means for disengaging said rolls from the wire during their return rotation to prevent any retrograde move ment-of the wire.

CHARLES A. ROBINSON. 

